Wine Line - Wine Education and Tasting Podcast

Liu Pambuffetti is a cousin of Alessandra Pambuffetti - our interview of last week. Liu runs Azienda Agraria Scacciadiavoli, a historic winery in Montefalco, Umbria. Founded in 1884 by Ugo Boncompagni-Ludovisi, the Prince of Piombino, Scacciadiavoli incorporated a number of innovative engineering techniques, including gravity feed flow. The estate is made up of 130 hectares, 35 of which is in vineyards and produces 250,000 bottles of wine each year. Today, the Pambuffetti family owns and operates Scacciadiavoli. To learn more, go to: www.scacciadiavoli.it.

Alessandra is a dear friend who happens to be the proprietor of an exceptional mecca of hospitality in beautiful Montefalco, “the balcony of Umbria.” The villa is located in the midst of a park-like setting just a short walk from the walled village of Montefalco, the home of wine made from the Sagrantino grape. Not only is  Villa Pambuffetti an outstanding place to rest your head, it also boasts an exceptional restaurant serving contemporary takes on traditional Umbrian cuisine. Her cooking school is a delight. Find out more at: www.villapambuffetti.it.

Giovanni Meschini’s family makes remarkable wine in the beautiful region of Marche. Not only do they produce stunning red wine from Sangiovese, Merlot and Montepulciano, they also produce a very unusual red semi-sparkling wine - Il Ciarliero made from one of the oldest native varietals in Italy. Colmone is extremely inventive. They make white wines from red grapes - Bianco del Moro, a white Sangiovese and Il Merlo Albino - a white Merlot. Listen as Giovanni discusses the history and future of Fattoria Colmone della Marca.

Lodovico Dubini talks about the history and refurbishment of Locanda Palazzone, a notable place to stay when visiting Umbria. It is located just minutes from the beautiful walled city of Orvieto. Once a place to stay for pilgrims traveling from Rome to Orvieto, today, Locanda Palazzone is a luxurious B&B / Hotel that has been updated with great taste and modern furnishings. Breakfast there is always a great way to start the day and dinners are a foodies delight. Palazzone is also a top rated winery. What could be better that a historical place to rest your head that also offers great food and wine. Check them out at: www.locandapalazzone.it 

This week’s WineLine Radio program’s lead-in is an introduction to our just recorded series “WineLine Radio in Italy.” We just returned from Umbria and Tuscany where we interviewed top Italian winemakers and hospitality hosts. The series begins next week on May 15th. Be sure to tune in to learn about the philosophy of Italian winemaking and how many of the top wineries are returning to their roots and producing wines that  reflect their heritage, grapes and land.   Segment 2 of this week’s show features wine pro Les Kellen debunking the myths of  wine tasting. Don’t miss it. You will learn a lot.

Forty years ago, Piero Antinori outraged the Italian wine world with the first release of a red blend that was quite untraditionally Tuscan, Tignanello. A few years later, he followed that with Solaia, which also blended the Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with the local Sangiovese. Together, they helped create a new category—super Tuscan—and the future of Tuscany was set in motion. Antinori remains the august and genteel head of his family’s wine business, whose roots date back to 1375.  Listen to Part Two of my continuing biographical homage to the Marchese Piero Antinori.  Parts one and two are on www.winelineradio.com.   This week’s Naked Wine of the Week is Jac Cole’s Oak Fermented California Chardonnay, 2013. Listen to the "Gang of Wine” as we taste this outstanding creamy and oaky, classic styled Chardonnay.

Forty years ago, Piero Antinori outraged the Italian wine world with the first release of a red blend that was quite untraditionally Tuscan, Tignanello. A few years later, he followed that with Solaia, which also blended the Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with the local Sangiovese. Together, they helped create a new category—super Tuscan—and the future of Tuscany was set in motion. Antinori remains the august and genteel head of his family’s wine business, whose roots date back to 1375.  Listen to my biographical homage to the Marchese Piero Antinori.     This week’s Naked Wine of the Week is “Sin Fronteras El Machon, 2013.” Listen to the "Gang of Wine” as we taste this blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This week’s WineLine Radio program is an interview and tasting with Jill Ramsier and David Forrester, proprietors of Quantum Leap Winery in Orlando, Florida. Quantum Leap Winery is a local winery with a sustainable focus and global reach.Their vision is to continue to develop relationships with small producers in premier wine growing regions and be sustainably-oriented in our decisions and actions. They are committed to bringing you quality, environmentally friendly wines at a great value. Quantum Leap Winery creates excellent wines, from top juice, sourced from around the world. The tasting during the interview consists of two Italian whites from the Veneto region, their Reserve Pinot Noir and an outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa. It’s like taking a global tour of wines. Please tune in on www.overseasradio.com, www.winelineradio.com, www.stitcher.com and on iTunes.

Since we are a week away from “Holy Week”, I will be doing a primer on wines for Passover and Easter. I call it “The Ecumenical Show.” I will give you a list of 12 Kosher wines that are available from the USA, France, Italy, Spain and Israel. You can download the list at my website: www.winelineradio.com where you will also find downloadable recipes for Passover Seder dinner - brisket, and Easter dinner - Lamb with peas. Just click on the pictures of the food and the recipes will load in a pdf.   The “Wine of the Week” from www.nakedwines.com is “crowdpleaZIN”, Sonoma Valley, 2013 by Ken Deis and Derek Rohlffs. Use the link above the wine bottle to get $100. off your purchase of wines from www.nakedwines.com.  

This week, I am paying homage to one of Burgundy’s premier winemakers, Michel Lafarge. Mr. Lafarge, an 86 year old “farmer” was feted at one of Manhattan’s finest food and wine venues, Batard, with his son Frederic and daughter-in-law Chantal. 55 worldly gastronomes traveled to New York to join in the event. Listen as I detail the events of the evening and learn about a scion of Burgundy.    Timely Wine News discusses how we perceive aroma and taste as we age. Grey hair and wrinkles are unavoidable consequences of age, but what does  the passing of time do to our senses of smell and taste?   And, in the tasting portion of this week’s show, “The Gang of Wine” will let you know what they think about F. Stephen Millier’s Angel’s Reserve Shiraz, Lodi, 2013 from www.nakedwines.com. I have paired this wine with a slow braised Lamb Shoulder. Get the recipe at my website, www.winelineradio.com.

This week on wineLine Radio, Robert’s “Timely Wine News” covers three topics: (1) A mistaken report about a notable French Chateau owner, calling him DEAD, is corrected. Martin Bouygues was briefly reported as dead last weekend by Agence France Presse (AFP),  but the news agency retracted its report and issued an apology after the Bouygues Group clarified that  the the billionaire co-owner of Chateau Montrose was still alive. (2) Germany will overtake Italy to become the world's third largest wine consuming nation within four years,  according to a report that also predicts the US will cement its position as the world’s largest wine market. (3) Some specifics about Villa Saint Simon in Blaye, Bordeaux. Here’s some answers to inquiries.   The “Wine of the Week” is Pickberry, Single Vineyard Merlot, Sonoma County 2013 produced for www.nakedwines.com by Jim Olsen and Tom Shula. The tasting will be cond

This week on WineLine Radio, I will talk about "Eight Wine Regions to Keep your Eyes on.” Listen and be the first in your gang to explore these regions through your wine glass. And, this has been a especially harsh winter in many of the world’s wine regions. I will take a look into the effects of the weather on the resting vines. Will they be harmed, or not?  How will the effects of the weather impact wine prices? Listen and learn.   My “Wine of the Week” is Tom Shula’s Vin de California from www.nakedwines.com. A Sonoma Merlot blend that’s like somewhat like a right bank Bordeaux. I will be tasting and reporting to you. Tom was a garage winemaker until Naked Wines funded his dream of making great wine.    Go to my website www.winelineradio.com and you will find a link to naked wines that will  save you $100. on your purchase of outstanding wines from  nakedwines.com

This week’s WineLine Radio show features newly discovered “Timely Wine News.” It seems that Wine Enthusiast magazine has proclaimed Central Florida as one of the TOP SIX destinations for wine tourism. This is amazing.  It’s probably a result of WineLine Radio’s weekly broadcasts coming to you from Central Florida (just kidding). You will hear about Quantum Leap Winery, The Wine Room, Jinko Restaurant at Disney World and more. I will be interviewing the owners of Quantum Leap Winery in the next few days and you can hear all about it on an upcoming show.  I will feature a primer on “CAVA” that spectacular sparking wine from Spain.    The tasting segment features another outstanding wine from www.nakedwines.com. This week it is a Cabernet Sauvignon made by S & A (Ana & Sarah). It hails from Sonoma County and the vintage is 2013.  Don’t forget, you can get a link on www.winelineradio.com that will save you $100. o

This week, on WineLine radio, I will be discussing the wines of the Northern Rhone. These Syrah based wines Have been produced for centuries and are indicative of quality, complexity, power and taste. I will feature the Northern Rhone area of Saint Joseph where you can find great values when compare with the wines of Hermitage and Cornas.    The “Wine of the Week” is Carmen Steven’s Angels Reserve Shiraz, 2013 from the Western Cape of South Africa. Carmen is one of South Africa's finest wine makers, as one taste of her superb Shiraz -  made especially for the Naked Wines Angels - quickly illustrates. South Africa may have come late to the  Shiraz ball, but it's played catch up quickly, and now produces some of the best in the world.  This one, with its dark, rich plum fruit punch and smokey oaky, peppery finish is delicious.    Go to my website www.winelineradio.com and you will find a link to naked wines that will sa

This week, I will report on the "Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux" introduction tasting of the 2012 vintage at the Fountainbleau Hotel in Miami, Florida. I will discuss the possibilities for the restaurant trade in 2015, Grgich Hills Chardonnay Showdown's upcoming 35th anniversary and more. The "gang of Wine" will be tasting Jacqueline Bahue's Sta. Hills Pinot Noir, 2013 vintage.And, don't forget, when you go to www.winelineradio.com you will find a link on the home page that will save you $100. on your next purchase of fine wine from www.nakedwines.com.

This week's show continues exploring Umbria and its wines. From Montefalco to Orvieto, Umbria offers new experiences to the seasoned and novice traveler. Grechetto, Sagrantino, Chardonnay, Merlot and other grape varieties yield expressive and unique wines found nowhere else in Italy. Join me as we discover Umbria.And, don't forget, when you go to www.winelineradio.com you will find a link on the home page that will save you $100. on your next purchase of fine wine from www.nakedwines.com.

Welcome to our first recorded broadcast of 2015. This week, I am going to be talking about Umbria, that verdant region of Italy that sits between Tuscany and Le Marche. It's the heartland of Italy, producing outstanding produce and wines, some of which you have probably never heard of like Sagrantino. I will introduce you to several wineries and to our favorite place to stay in Umbria, Villa Pambuffetti. In segment 2 of the show, "The Gang of Wine" will participate in a double blind tasting of two wines of the same grape variety. Can they identify the grape? We'll see. And, we'll see which one this like best. Both wines are from www.nakedwines.com. Go to my website www.winelineradio.com and you will find a link to naked wines that will save you $100. on your purchase of these outstanding Naked Wines.

Welcome to WineLine Radio’s first edition of 2015. First, let me say thanks to all of you for making 2014 our best year ever. It was a banner year culminating in our series “WineLine Radio in France.” We traveled to Bordeaux, the Loire Valley and Paris to interview leading winemakers and wine pros and bring an inside view of the world of French wine. Our friend and wine pro, Les Kellen of Villa Saint Simon in Blaye in Bordeaux debunked the myths of wine tasting for us. Our friends at nakedWines.com afforded us the privilage of tasting their wines that are funded by “Angels” investors. They even gave WineLine Radio listeners $100. off their purchase of naked wines through my website winelineradio.com. I am happy to say that the $100. off program will continue this year, 2015. 2014 initated the tasting program by my “Gang of Wine”… just ordinary folks tasting wines and giving their opinions in an easy to understand manner. In today’s program, I will te

This week we bid a fond good-by to our "WineLine radio in France" series. I hope you enjoyed the interviews. You can listen to them in the Archives of www.overseasradio.com and on my website, www.winelineradio.com. Personally, I can't wait to go back and visit our old and new-found friends. This week, I cover some interesting topics on "Timely Wine News." Jean-Philippe Moulin launches his Champagne line on www.nakedwines.com, Crimean winemakers ask Russia for a celebratory banknote... and much more. Our wine of the week is KWV Roodenberg Red Blend and my recipe of the week is for "Mulled Wine." Make some for the holidays. Go to my website: www.winelineradio.com for the complete "WineLine Radio in France" series / Wine of the Week / and a special link to www.nakedwines.com that will save you $100. on your next wine purchase from NakedWines.Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Just in time for the holiday season, our good friend and wine pro Les Kellen holds forth on the myths surrounding wine and wine tasting. Listen and learn as Les takes you through the A B C’s. With these guidelines in mind, you can plan a successful and fun "Holiday Tasting Party." And, when you are in Bordeaux, enjoy the comforts of Villa Saint Simon in Blaye. Say hello to Les and have a glass of wine. Want to know more about my favorite place to stay in Bordeaux, visit their website www.villastsimon.com. If you listened to last week's show, you learned how Les and Clarissa teamed up to build a fabulous hospitality business in Blaye in Bordeaux. If you missed it, go to the Archives for WineLine and listen to my show for December 5th. Tune in this week at 1:00 PM EST to hear Les Kellen and learn all about wine tasting... it's a repeat of my Oct. 17th show.Go to my website: www.winelineradio.com for the complete "WineLine Radio in France" series / Wine of the Week / and a special link to www.nakedwines.co